Chair



Sept. 9, 1958 E. F. HAMILTON 2,

CHAIR Filed July :1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3f 1 Y v dax I. .3. 43 if 4345 3,33% 45 x if u i uvwszv ron fie; L b's/nu r04,

31 45- 3f BY 'fi'OP/VEYS.

E. F. HAMILTON 2,851,090

CHAIR 2 Sheets-Shae? 2 Sept. 9, 1958 Filed July 31, 1956 l I'Ill u m IUnited States Patent ice ig CHAIR Earl F. Hamilton, Columbus, Ind.,assignor to Hamilton Manufacturing Corporation, Columbus, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Application July 31, 1956, Serial No. 601,149

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-194) This invention relates to a chair and moreparticularly to a knock-down chair which can be readily assembled. It isan object of the invention to produce a chair of knockdown constructionwhich may be readily erected and which, when erected, will be ofattractive appearance and sturdy construction.

A chair embodying my invention comprises four principal parts-namely, aseat, a pair of side members, and a back. In the preferred construction,the back com prises a frame member in the general form of an inverted Udesirably provided with cross-slats; each side member is formed of metaltubing also bent into the general form of an inverted U; and the seatrests on the intermediate portions of the U-shaped side members, theremaining portions of which constitute front and rear legs. Below theseat, the rear legs are provided in their rear faces with openings, andthe lower ends of the back-frame member enter such openings and extenddownwardly within the rear legs to provide a vertically extended bearingcontributing to the rigidity of the construction. The seat desirablycomprises a sheet-metal seat-pan provided along its sides withdownwardly opening grooves receiving and locating the intermediatestretches of the U-shaped side member. For reasons which will becomeapparent hereinafter the back-frame member and two side members aredesirably formed of tubing which is of a generally square cross-sectionbut which is modified from a true square in that the side walls have aslight camber.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the chair in erected condition with aportion of the seat broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the chair;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the chair;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental side elevation similar to Fig. l but on anenlarged scale with portions of the structure broken away to illustrateinterior construction;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmental rear elevation of a portion of a rear leg; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

The chair illustrated in the drawing comprises a seat 15, a backdesignated in its entirety by the reference numeral 16, and a pair ofside members each designated. in its entirety by the reference numeral17. The seat (Figs. 4 and 5) includes a sheet-metal seat-pan formed toprovide a down-turned peripheral flange 21 terminating at its lower edgein an out-turned bead 22. A second sheet-metal member 23 is providedwith a down-turned peripheral flange 24 telescoping over the flange 21of the seat-pan. Appropriate padding 25 on the member 23 is covered withany appropriate upholstery material 26. Preferably, the padding 25 andthe upholstery material 26 extends downwardly over the flange 24 andupwardly within such flange so as to be held securely between the twoflanges 21 and 24 when the member 23 is in place,

The member 23 and the seat-pan 20 are secured together by anyappropriate means such as screws (not shown) passing through theseat-pan and into the member 23.

Along each side of the seat, the metal of the pan 20 is ofiset upwardlyas indicated at 30 to provide a downwardly opening groove adapted toreceive the intermediate portion 31 of the side member 17, such sidemember being in the general form of an inverted U to provide, inaddition to the intermediate portion 31, a front leg 32 and a rear leg33. Desirably, each of the side members 17 is formed of metal tubing ofa generally square cross-section but having side walls possessing aslight convex chamber, as will be clear from Figs. 5 and 7. Below theseat, each of the rear legs 33 is sheared to provide a tongue 34continuous at its upper end with the metal of the rear legwall butseparated from such metal along its sides and at its lower end. Suchtongue is bent inwardly to extend across the interior of the rear legwith its lower end engaging and extending along the surface of the frontlegwall, as indicated in Fig. 4. If desired, feet 35 may be provided onthe lower ends of the front and rear legs.

The back 16 comprises a frame member desirably formed of the sametubular stock as that used in the side members 17 and bent into the formof an inverted U to provide two generally vertical side portions 37 andan intermediate portion 38. For a substantial distance upwardly from thelower ends of the side portions 37, such side portions are reduced incross-sectional dimensions to enter the openings formed in the rear legs33 by the inward bending of the tongues 34. In so reducing thecrosssection of the lower ends of the side portions 37, it is convenientto displace the front wall of each inwardly to form a deep channelor'groove 38. In addition to reducing the cross-sectional dimensions ofthe lower ends of each side portion 37, I bend each reduced lower endrearwardly in the manner indicated in Fig. 4 and provide it with ashoulder 40 adapted to seat against the lower edge of the opening in theassociated rear leg 33.

To complete the back, I provide cross-slats 42 extending horizontallybetween the side members 37 of the back frame-member. Conveniently, suchcross-slats are tubular and have the form of an elongated oval, theirends being partially collapsed and thereby tapered to enter openings inthe side portions 37 with a tight fit. Such slats 42 are inserted in theopenings in the side portions 37 before the frame-member is given itsfinal form.

For the purpose of securing the seat to the intermediate portions 31 ofthe side members, a pair of nuts 43 are secured in the base of eachgroove 30 in theseat-pan 20, such nuts receiving screws 45 extendingupwardly through the intermediate portion 31 of each side member. Toprovide clearance for the nuts, the upper wall of such intermediateportion 31 may be offset downwardly as indicated at 46. Each channel orgroove 30 is formed to receive its associated intermediate portion 31with a snug fit, thus locating such intermediate portion positively inthe plane of the seat. The cambered side walls of the tubing from whichthe 'side members 16 are formed makes such a tight fit possible in spiteof dimensional variations which may occur in manufacture. In otherwords, the groove 30 is made narrow enough that the associatedintermediate portion cannot enter it without some deflection of itscambered side walls, so that tightening of the screws 45 will result insome slight collapse of such Walls leaving them bearing resiliently butfirmly against the sides of the groove 30.

To secure the back in place, I provide nuts 48 mounted in the inwardlydeflected front wall of the side portions 37, as indicated in Fig. 4,such nuts receiving screws 49 which extend through the rear legs 33 fromthe front side thereof.

51 of the collapsed lower end will be located adjacent the front" wallof the rear leg 33. With such arrangement, tightening of each screw 49willtend to rock the back about the portion 51 urging such portionforwardly while, at the same time, urging the extreme lower end 50rearwardly. Preferably, the width'of the collapsedlower end of each sideportion 37 is such that asthe screws 49 draw the back into its finalposition the extreme lower end 50 will be wedged between'the camberedside walls of the lower leg 33 and the curved portion 51 will. similarlybe wedged between such cambered side wall. This feature, coupled withthe snug fit of the side portions 37 between the sides of the openingleft by inward deflection of the tongue 34 provides, in effect, avertically extending hearing of relatively great effective lengthpreventing both side members from rocking about the axes of theirrespective intermediate portions 31.

As will be obvious, when the chair is in knocked-down conditionthesevarious elements may be arranged to form a compact package. To assemblethe chair, it is necessary only to place the intermediate portions 31 ofthe side members in the grooves 30 of the seat, insert the screws 45,run the lower ends of the side portions 37 at the back into the openingsin the rear legs 33, and insert the screws 49. Most'conveniently, noneof the screws 45 and 49 are tightened until all have been inserted,whereupon all of Q the screws may be successively tightened. Since thesnug fit of the intermediate portions 31 of the side members withinthegrooves 30 locates the side members positively in the plane of the seat,and since the vertically extended bearing between the side portions 37of the back frame and the rear legs 33 prevents rotation of the sidemembers about the axes of their respective intermediate portions, thechair, when assembled, is exceptionally rigid and sturdy.

I claimas my invention:

1. A chair, comprising a seat, a pair of side members, and a back. eachof said side members being of metal tubing bent into the general form ofan inverted U to provide a generally horizontal intermediate portion, afront leg, and a rear leg, said seat being secured to the intermediatenortions of the side members said rear legs being 4 provided'below theseat with openings in their rear walls, said .back comprising sides, thelower ends of which extend through said openings and downwardly withinthe rear legs, and means for securing said side portions to said rearlegs.

'2. A chair as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that said seat isprovided alongtits side edges with downwardly opening grooves snuglyreceiving the horizontal intermediate portions of said side members andlocating them in the plane of the seat.

3. A chairas set term in claim 1 with the addition that the tubing fromwhich said side members are formed is generally rectangular incross-section and has two opposite walls which" are cambered, thelowerends of the sides of the back being curved to provide verticallyspaced portions one of which is wedged between said cambered sides nearthe rear of the rear leg and the other of which is wedged between saidcambered sides near the front of the rear leg.

4. Ina' chair, a seat, means including rear legs for supporting saidseat, and a back, said rear legs being tubular and being provided belowsaid seat with openings in their rear walls,- said back including sidesthe lower ends of which extend through such openings and downwardlywithin the rear legs.

5. A'- chair as set forth in claim 4 with the addition that theftubingfrom which said rear legs are formed is generally rectangular in crosssection and has two opposite walls which are cambered, the lower ends ofthe sides of the back being curved to provide vertically spaced portionsone of which iswedged between said cambered'sidesne'ar the'rear of therear leg andthe other of-whieh is wedged between said cambered sidesnear the front of the rear leg.

6. A chair'as set forth in claim 5 with the addition of means forsecuring said sides in said rear legs said-means acting at a point abovethe upper one of said vertically spaced portions and tending to rock theback relative to the rear legs to increase the tightness of the fit ofeach such portion between said cambered sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,346,448 Noblitt et al. Apr. 11, 1944 2,710,053 Hamilton' June 7. 1955FOREIGN PATENTS 376,251 Great Britain July 5, 1932 471,625 Canada Feb.20; 1951

